Thursday, April 26, 2012

Former international and President
of Penang State Hockey association Ow Soon Kooi was conferred a
"datukship" in conjunction with the birthday of HRH Sultan of Pahang.

Datuk
Ow received the award this morning in Pahang and it is due recognition
for the someone who played in the 1978 and 1982 World Cups as well as
the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and 1984 Los Angles Olympics.

In
addition Soon Kooi also played in the 1974 Asian Games, having made his
debut in the 1973 Sea Games in Singapore where Malaysia were beaten to
the gold medal by the hosts, the only time Malaysia never won gold in
the regional tournament. He represented Malaysia from 1973 until 1984.

On
a bright side though, Soon Kooi was the first Malaysian playing as a
forward to skipper the national hockey team since the 1956 Melbourne
Olympics where centrehalf S. Selvanayagam was accorded the honour.

He
was picked as skipper for the national team for a 4 Nation Tournament
in Kuala Lumpur in 1980 but prior to that he had filled the shoes of
skipper when R.Ramakrishnan was out injured - in April 1979 against
France in Perth as well as for the two Test matches against Pakistan two
months later.

He
probably is the only player to have broken his nose twice while donning
national colours. The first being in the 1975 Sea Games and the second
time when a free hit taken by Pakistan's all time great Akhtar Rasool
was deflected onto his face from a stick during the 1978 World cup match
in Argentina.

Soon Kooi was a product of Penang Free School and while is soft spoken
he never holds back from stating his opinion on issues that affect
Malaysian hockey, especially during MHF Management Committee meetings.

Many
may not know but Soon Kooi went through so many difficult timnes, on
and off the pitch to be where he is now, the Chairman of Olympic Hotel.

He
failed his Senior Cambridge examinations in 1971, all due to his
passion for hockey as he neglected his studies despite being amongst the
top 60 students in an open examination. Having enrolled in Francis
Light School in 1967 for his primary education, Soon Kooi then moved to
Penang free School.

He
represented PFS in their Under 15 team when he was in Form Two. The
failure in his exams meant that he was forced to be transferred to the
Methodist Boy's School, something that did not go down well with him.

He
started working as a waiter in a local hotel for 18 months and never
let go of his passion for hockey as he was rewarded with a place in the
national team for the 1973 Sea Games.

Fortune
changed for the better after that as Soon Kooi joined the Penang Port
Commission as a fireman and it was during this time that he went back to
the books to complete and pass his Senior Cambridge exams. Two years
later he joined the Malaysian Police as an Inspector and has never
looked back since, charting one success after another.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Trophies
and titles are not won in committee rooms and we know from the
experience of other countries that professional organisation and modern
administration is the key to success in the country.

But
will our administrators ever learn from the mistakes of the past. I am
constantly reminded of the fact that our administrators still
lack the ability to fully grasp a situation.

Not
wanting to put players under undue pressure is a phrase that is so
commonly used by coaches or managers that at times I like to think that maybe that
is the only excuse they can think of given their limited exposure.

Correct goal setting does not, however, imply a blinkered approach.

While describing the technique of archery in Eugen Herrigel's classic Zen and the Art of Archery,
the Zen master states: “The more obstinately you try to learn how to
shoot the arrow for the sake of hitting the goal, the less you will
succeed in the one and the further the other will recede.”

This is the best way to achieve your goal—a dissociated state of awareness.

Winning is secondary. What matters is whether you are aware of your goal and how you are going to achieve it.

That is my advice to future managers of team sports in the country.

Ask
any psychologist and he will tell you that the mind is a strange
machine. It records everything that ever happened in your life and
stores all the images for posterity.

And
this storehouse provides the sportsperson mental strength and a
positive frame of mind. To play well, you must visualize all the
positive games you have played before the big day.

This
conditions the reflexes to react accordingly. Imagery allows the player
to practice and prepare for events and eventualities he can never
expect to train for in reality.

Too often these individuals have thrived despite of the system or relied on a chance encounter with an exceptional coach.

We
can no longer rely on chance and goodwill. We need to learn the lessons
of our competitor nations and have the most professional system for
talent development and support of excellence.

It is virtually impossible to give tips on the state of sporting nirvana, as it were.

But
the definition that probably comes closest can be found in these words
of Herrigel’s Zen master: “You can learn from an ordinary bamboo leaf
what ought to happen. It bends lower and lower under the weight of snow.
Suddenly the snow slips to the ground without the leaf having
stirred... So, indeed, it is: when the tension is fulfilled, the shot
must fall, it must fall from the archer like snow from a bamboo leaf,
before he even thinks of it.”

I wish to inform readers of this blog that I have withdrawn the nomination of this blog from the Astro Arena Awards.

This was already communicated to the organisers and the reason being was that I had not consented to being nominated in the first place. My main concern is that there are other bloggers who are up to date with happenings and also are featured in Arena shows hence should be accorded the privilege of being nominated for the award.

The other three nominees - Haresh Deol, Aiman and Christopher Raj are way beyond my league and are deserving candidates to win the award. So please do cast your vote for the trio.

I wish to commend Astro Arena for initiating an award for bloggers and their noble effort is surely appreciated by those who blog - without fear or favour.

My apology to Astro Arena for withdrawing and wish them all the best for the gala night scheduled for April 24.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Failure, if not addressed immediately, can be habit forming. It leads us
to more failure and, ultimately, total ruin. Malaysian football is in that
parlous state.

We had it all and we have it all, but riches which are
not utilised properly still render us paupers in world football. Today, we are
obsessed with all the wrong things.

Sports is all about fairness,
honesty, pride and passion. Fifty years after independence we are deluding
ourselevs into giving excuses for failure.

All the rhetoric and promises
cannot hide the fact that, after 50 years of nationhood, we are still grappling
to deal with certain realities. Nothing puts it in better focus than the game
which was the very soul of the nation until its decline 20 years ago.

Today, we pay scant attention the Malaysia Cup and other local competitions. We
have all been converted to the English Premier League, ardent devotees of a
football religion practised thousands of miles away.

The fault is in our
changing perpectives and values and misguided social dogmas which have strayed
drastically off the straight and narrow of tolerance and acceptance which once
made Malaysian football great. There is no need for insightful
soul-searching or recriminations. The problem, if we only choose to see it with
2020 vision, is in our changing attitudes.

The cloud over the game is
that of bigotry and hypocrsiy, the refusal to accept the reality of the
situation. There can be no quotas in sports. Only the best will do and most
nations recognise this immutable fact.

Malaysian soccer lost its lustre
two decades ago and we are still trying to fool ourselves that we can polish
dull granite into diamonds. Just look around you. We no longer have teams
worthy of total support like Man United, Liverpool or Arsenal. We no longer
have star players who appeal to youngsters. We no longer have a national team
of substance.

If we are brutally honest we would recognise that our
professional league are nothing more than a social outing - a kickabout with
players of scant talent.

There is no urgency, no driv, no zest, no
belief. Most damning of all, there is no passion.

The game is in a state
of chaos governed by an association leading by disassociation. The inertia is
suffocating. The states are doing their own thing, which ususally is nothing.
The clubs are doing their own thing, which usually is nothing. And the schools
are doing their own thing, which is, again,, nothing. All that nothing is
telling on the game.

The only way to remedy the situation is by
admitting our faults. That football has been victim to human vulnerability.
That we have lost sight of the game and its needs in pursuing personal
objectives driven by nationalistic and political motives.

That the game
is no longer the glue that binds the nation. That there is no production line
of talent simply because kids in the neighbourhood no longer kick the ball
around together with common intent and a sense of camaraderie.

That the
mould that produced the likes of Mokhtar Dahari, Soh Chin Aun and M. Chandran is
well and truely broken. The sense of loss is acute.

While Thailand,
Singapore and Indonesia are talking positively of qualfying for the World Cup,
we are still sifting through the ashes of past glories.

Our recent
showings are typical of the least productive sequence of results for a quarter
of a century. We are routinely losing to nations without any soccer capital,
like the Maldives and Sri Lanka and offering the same pathetic excuses for
those humiliations.

Unfortunately, the statistics don't lie. They
expose the barren landscape of Malaysian football more than the sun bleached
skulls of the Pol Pot's killing fields.

It is a depressing scenario.
yet, besides the usual diatribe, there is no firm policy or philosopy on hand
to rescue the game from the dire straits it has been steered into by careless
and incompetent stewardship.

The FA of Malaysia's incompetence and
disconcerting indifference are central to the game's decline. They have
compromsed on quality and talent creation to appease the treacherous demands of
racial mores.

We had, as nation, a head start on most Western countries
where it came to learning about racial tolerance and living together in
harmony. In fact, we had a good 800 or more years to learn and we did but we
have thrown it all away,.

So now we watch and marvel at how whites and
blacks embrace each other without inhibition or pretence on the football
field. We hardly see such open integration and brotherhood on our soccer
pitches anymore.

Nine of the starting 11 in the French national team are
black. Most of the other European teams also have coloured players in their
national teams, even Germany. Our teams propagate disintegration even as the
government encourages integration.

It is the power of performance which
instils confidence and thereby drives results. That is unlikely to happen until
we once again have the best players, irregardleess of ethnicity, playing for the
country.

The truth is we have regressed. Without equality, without
integration, without tearing down the walls of distrust we have built between
the races, we have no hope of rejuvenating our national game.

Football
is all about disregarding colour and creed. That is why it is called the
beautiful game. That game has grown ugly in Malaysia because we have brought
racial divides into the sport. Just ask the former greats who they will tell
you why we were once great.

There really can be no solution to this
malaise until we accept and understand our faults. We can no longer afford to
gloss over our deficiencies.

There is a need to correct the weaknesses
which have been allowed to become a prolonged and debilitating malaise. The
cycle of failure, once embarked upon, is not easily counteracted and, in
consequence, success is made so much harder to revive. It becomes a habit.

There is an urgent need for a different perspective. We need to create
excitement in the game again. We need all the races to start playing the game
again. We players who want to pursue their ambitions beyond the local leagues.

We need ambition, but above all we need that spirit of brotherhood and
patriotism over-riding all other inane dogmas.

We need a reality check -
a brutally honest one. Unless something is done to jolt the powers that be out
of their stupor and come to grips with of the realities, we will continue to
live in the past.

Otherwise, 50 plus years into nationhood we will be living
a lie which will destroy whatever semblance of the game we have left.

Malaysian football has become the worst thing a sport can become - something to
be endured rather than enjoyed. It has run out of credit and into serious
overdraft. It has lost all its credibity and become something to be
vilified.

It is time for us to say enough to all the platitudes and
evasions if the game is to have any hope. Enough of the ridiculous slogans and
empty rhetoric - just get honest and get on with it.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

But some five kilometers away, at the KL Hockey Stadium, a somber looking bunch of hockey players were in serious discussion with the national team manager George Koshy.

The deep look that they gave when pictures were taken was a clear reflection that the national hockey players were really aggrieved with the report submitted by their coach pertaining to the failure of the team to make it to the London Olympics.

While the players were shown, as was the media last Thursday, the presentation made by Tai Beng Hai to the MHC Council on April 10, they were however born presented with the full report,parts of which were revealed by this blog and a national English daily.

Not all the players who were in Dublin were there to listen to Koshy first hand as Faisal and Fitri Saari were with the national junior side while Baljit Singh was attending a wedding in Ipoh.

Also absent was Mohd Shukri Mutalib and Izwan Firdaus.

Some players who were called up to join the squad for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup but who were not in Dublin, Hafiz, Amir Farid, Azammi Adabi and Firhan Ashaari were present though.

" I explained to the players what had happened and showed that what was presented to council and media. However the full report was not provided to players , " said Koshy when met after the two hour session.

" Actually the team is supposed to report tomorrow but they have yet to be informed that they are to report to camp hence one should not read much into this.

" From the discussion, the feedback from the players is that they want to understand why all these things happened, the truth on what was written in media and also said at the press conference.

"I did provide explanation on some of the comments like on anger management - where in the matches against Ireland and Korea having players outside long period of time did not help our cause and that could have been what the coach meant.

" The players want to hear clarification from the coach and a session with the coaches will be arranged so as to enable both parties to clear any misunderstanding that could have arisen."

Koshy also said that in principle most of the players have accepted the explanation and have agreed to resume training after meeting with the coach.

However it was learnt that at least three senior players, minus Mohd Madzli Ikmar who announced his retirement, are contemplating withdrawing from the team from the time being as they felt short changed by the coach in his report.

The question now is will Beng Hai admit and stand by what he wrote in his report or resort to denying what was revealed in this blog and the national English daily?

This blog has been threatened with legal action and is VERY prepared to reveal the whole 26 pages of the report, especially the pages that speak about players individually.

It's best to own up and move on, for it takes a man to admit his faults and weaknesses.

Had the report gone through the proper procedures, then none of this would have happened.

But to issue a threat of legal action and call others liars, smacks arrogance.

Malaysia has been drawn in Group C for the Thomas Cup final in Wuhan, China, together with European giants Denmark and minnows South Africa.

During the draw for the Thomas and Uber Cup finals held at the Wuhan Sports Centre in China today, host China, the defending and eight times champion were drawn in Group A with Indonesia and England.

Japan who head Group B have Russia and New Zealand for company while 2008 runner-up South Korea head Group D and grouped together with United States and Germany.

Malaysia booked a ticket to the Thomas Cup final scheduled from May 20 to 27 after finishing among the top four teams in the Asian Zone Thomas and Uber Cup Qualifiers hosted by Macau from Feb 13 to 19.

Sunday, April 08, 2012

After having read the statement issued by Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, I penned down several questions and emailed them to the Football Association of Malaysia Deputy President to seek his views on the subject matter as his statement was interesting and an eye opener to many who were intrigued by this sordid affair.

The questions ranged from the legality of the second charge preferred against Tan Sri Annuar Musa, the FAM Constitution, the Disciplinary Code and if there was such a thing as Deputy President 1 and 2 within the ambit of the FAM constitution.

The reply I received from HRH to the email I sent to HRH was in short -

( Am not publishing the reply as did not seek for permission to put it up on the blog )

That was a honest answer and Article 88 no doubt is akin to what ISA was/is. The fact that Tengku Abdullah actually took time off his busy schedule to respond was good enough for me.

But the media release by Tengku Abdullah contravenes Article 88 as he made a statement and in the process has questioned the legality of the six months punishment for going against his advice as stated and not directive as TSAM was charged.

So now we shall await with abated breath if Tengku Abdullah is to face the wrath of Article 88.

One thing is certain, the media release by Tengku Abdullah was truthful and was spoken as a true footballing person who has the best interest of the sport at heart.

Now if only others can see things the way Tengku Abdullah does and share his vision in promoting football in the country.

How we yearn for more maturity in dealing with matters that can destroy all the good work put in by leaders with exemplary vision.

IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS, SPECIFICALLY PERTAINING TO FAM'S DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE'S DECISION AGAINST TAN SRI ANNUAR MUSA, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY REGRETS OVER THE TURN OF EVENTS.

AS I HAVE BEEN OVERSEAS WHILE THIS WAS TAKING PLACE, I AM NOT PRIVY TO THE DETAILS OF THE ALLEGED INCIDENT OR THE HEARING ON THE 4TH APRIL 2012.

TO CLARIFY, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE BY ME ON THE 4 TH OF FEBRUARY SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS A DIRECTIVE BUT RATHER AN ADVISE TO ALL OFFICIALS IN FAM TO RESPECT OUR CONSTITUTION AND ENSURE THAT WE ADHERE TO THE PROPER REGULATIONS CLEARLY STATED.

HOWEVER, I AM SURE THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED THE CHARGES AND METED OUT THE APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION IN A TRANSPARENT MANNER AND IN ACCORDANCE TO FAM STATUTES.

I HAVE FAITH THAT DUE PROCESS HAS BEEN FOLLOWED. HOWEVER, I DO SYMPATHIZE WITH THE FORMER DEPUTY PRESIDENT AS I AM SURE HIS REMARKS WERE MADE IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT THAT SOMETIMES OVERTAKES US ALL. PASSION FOR GREAT FOOTBALL CAN AND DOES GET EVEN THE BEST OF US.

PERHAPS, IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR US TO PURSUE A REVIEW OF WHAT MIGHT NOT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST IN THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT.

AS SUCH, I OFFER MYSELF AS A MEDIATOR TO END THE IMPASSE AND MEND ANY POSSIBLE RIFT THIS UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT MIGHT HAVE CREATED.

WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF TAN SRI ANNUAR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MALAYSIAN FOOTBALL ALBEIT KELANTAN FOOTBALL.

WE MUST ALSO EXAMINE IF THIS DECISION WILL DISMANTLE THE GOOD WORK TAN SRI ANNUAR HAS PUT INTO KELANTAN FOOTBALL AND IF KELANTAN FA WILL SUFFER ITS REPERCUSSIONS.

IT IS MY HOPE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE MITIGATING FACTORS AND RESOLVE THIS AMICABLY FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF MALAYSIAN FOOTBALL.

THEREFORE, WE MUST LOOK BEYOND THIS AND FOCUS ON WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT-‐ THE PROGRESS OF MALAYSIAN FOOTBALL.